Bird Monitoring

BirdLife Cyprus holds data on bird distributions, populations, abundance and habitats that are of value for conservation management, site safeguard, species protection, planning, environmental policy and ecological science.

Provided the conditions detailed in our data provision and access policy are met, BirdLife Cyprus is committed to data sharing, making research data accessible and available to other users in the interests of effective conservation. BirdLife Cyprus undertakes many surveys where appropriate inferences can only be drawn from analyses that take account of the survey and sampling design.

BirdLife Cyprus is also custodian of the Important Bird Areas (IBA) inventory for Cyprus, drawn up on the basis of recognized and scientifically rigorous BirdLife International criteria, and approved by BirdLife International. The IBA inventory catalogues the key sites for bird conservation on the island and includes details on qualifying species and populations, site boundaries and characteristics. In addition to such systematic data, BirdLife Cyprus also holds 'raw' bird-watching data, referring simply to unsystematic sightings at various locations and various times of the year, mostly provided voluntarily by its active members and other birdwatchers who share their records.

These data tend to be biased towards popular bird-watching sites, towards rarer species and towards the migration seasons. None-the-less such data can be of value in assessing the status of birds, provided its limitations are allowed for. These data are also collated in monthly and annual bird reports.

Many of the unique datasets gathered by BirdLife Cyprus are critically dependent on the fieldwork of our network of skilled volunteers. We will always seek to ensure that our volunteers receive appropriate recognition for this work. We will also further develop their access to their own data (and where appropriate to those of other contributors) and their ability to manage and analyse them through online applications.

The data provision and access policy outlines the terms and conditions for use of BirdLife Cyprus data and includes a standard form to be used when requesting data from BirdLife Cyprus.

Get our news by emailSubscribe to our newsletter

BirdLife Cyprus is the national partner of BirdLife International, a unique global partnership of conservation organisations working locally to deliver long-term conservation for the benefit of nature and people.